Police attack on embassy, Mexico cuts ties with Ecuador

Mexico has severed relations with Ecuador, a South American country. The North American country decided to sever relations with Ecuador after the police attack on the Mexican embassy in Quito.

Basically, the police raided the Mexican embassy to arrest Vice-President George Glass. British media BBC reported this information in a report on Sunday (April 7).

According to reports, Mexico is cutting ties with Ecuador after police raided the Mexican embassy in the capital Quito to arrest Ecuador's former vice-president Jorge Glass.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said they (Ecuador) had "forced entry" into the embassy in "clear violation of international law".

According to the BBC, the country's former vice-president George Glass took refuge in the Mexican embassy in December last year after the Ecuadorian authorities issued an arrest warrant on corruption charges. Glass' lawyer says he is innocent.

But after his arrest in the embassy raid, Glass was taken under police guard to the city of Guayaquil, where he is expected to await trial in a maximum-security prison.

George Glass served as Vice-President of Ecuador from 2013 to 2017. He was relieved of his duties due to corruption allegations against him.

Later that year he was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption at Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. Prosecutors said he took $13.5 million in bribes.

He was released from prison in November last year. But Ecuadorian authorities issued another arrest warrant against him on further allegations of corruption, and Glass soon sought refuge in the Mexican embassy in the capital, Quito.

Last Friday, Mexico said it had granted political asylum to George Glass "after a thorough analysis" of the situation. However, this action is considered illegal by Ecuador.

Ecuador's presidency said in a statement, "Ecuador is a sovereign country and we will not let any criminal go free."

Meanwhile, Mexican President Obrador wrote on the social media platform X that he ordered the immediate suspension of diplomatic relations (with Ecuador) due to the arrest of former Vice-President Jorge Glass.

He also wrote, 'Ecuadorian police forcefully entered our embassy and detained the country's former vice-president. He was a refugee and was working through the asylum process because of the persecution and harassment he had faced. This is a clear violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty.”

A few hours later, the Central American country of Nicaragua also announced in a government statement that it had severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador over "abnormal and reprehensible actions".

Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena said several diplomats were injured in the police attack on the embassy.